With less than 2 weeks until the NHL trade deadline let’s take a look at who the New York Rangers can add for their playoff run. The biggest need in my eyes is help upfront. The 3rd Line has underperformed all season and if the Rangers want to make a run they need to improve there. The Rangers can also use another top 6 scoring winger to not only help with their 5 on 5 goal scoring issues but with Kaapo Kakko still out for an extended amount of time a move allows Dryden Hunt to move back down the line up which helps the bottom 6. Below is a list of candidates the Rangers can bring in, some pipe dream acquisitions, others that would be a good fit, and some players the Rangers could possibly sell.
Pipe Dream Trade Targets
Patrick Kane
The long time Chicago Blackhawks super-star could possibly be available. The Blackhawks have said they are moving towards a rebuild and what a better way to kick start that then trading Kane for a truckload of prospects and draft picks. Kane did say it would be “a privilege and an honor” to end his career in Chicago but does he really want to end his career in a rebuild? Kane would be the perfect fit to play with Panarin. The two were electric together in Chicago so you know chemistry will not be an issue. Kane only has one year left on his contract so it could be the right time for Chicago to cash in on his value.
Joe Pavelski
Another star American hockey player. Pavelski is having a huge year for the Dallas Stars. In 56 games this year he has 22 goals, 37 assists, and 59 points. Pavelski can play both wing and center. He also brings tremendous leadership and 155 games of playoff experience with him. With Dallas now back in the playoff race they could hold on to him. He is a pending UFA so they could look to move him for assets now and not risk losing him for nothing in free agency.
Claude Giroux
The 2022 NHL All-Star Game MVP has had trade rumors circling him since Christmas. The long time Philadelphia Flyers captain is in the final year of an 8-year contract. Speculation out of Philly is that they are interested in moving the star center, but would they really trade him to the Rangers? I don’t think so. If they did the Rangers would have to overpay tremendously. Flyers fans hated seeing Eric Lindros in a Rangers jersey, I can only image their feelings toward seeing Giroux playing on Broadway.
Realistic Trade Targets
Phil Kessel
Phil the Thrill on Broadway might be a great match. The 16-year NHL vet is not having a great season with the Arizona Coyotes, but I think he would be a great scoring addition to the Rangers lineup. With Phil being a UFA at the end of the year and Arizona in a full blown rebuild its a guarantee he gets moved by the deadline. Kessel is just three years removed from back-to-back 80-point seasons and brings two Stanley Cup rings with him. His sister, Amanda, has been involved with the Rangers organization for the past couple seasons so there is a family connection.
Ben Chiarot
Where there’s smoke there’s fire. Chiarot has been tied to Rangers for months now. With Jeff Gorton now running the Montreal Canadiens I am sure it will not be hard for him to piece a deal together with the prospects he wants from the Rangers. The question is do the Rangers need him? Braden Schneider has established himself as the 5th defenseman and isn’t going anywhere. Then you have Patrick Nemeth who, some people might not agree with this, has looked much better since returning from the IR. The Rangers also have Zac Jones and Nils Lundkvist playing well in Hartford. I did have his former coach Keith McCambridge on my podcast The Broadway Hat a couple weeks ago and we talked about what kind of impact he could have on the Rangers. If you want to check that out the link is below.
Andrew Copp
Similar to Pavelski, Copp can play both center and wing. The 27-year-old American is a UFA at the end of the year and with Winnipeg currently out of the playoff picture his name has been connected to a bunch of teams. Copp has 13 goals this season, his 4th straight season with double digit goals. He is a very good penalty killer and also sees time on Winnipeg’s power play. He would be a great addition for any team looking for solid depth for a playoff run, and not cost them to many assets.
Connor Brown
With Ottawa also mid rebuild is Brown someone they would look to move? I have been floating this out to the Twitterverse the past month or so, I think he would be a great fit on this team. He has missed time this year with injury but in 42 games he has 31 points. Last season he scored a career high 21 goals in the shortened season. With 5 of those goals coming shorthanded. Brown has another year left on his contract with a cap hit of $3.6 million so that is something to take into account. He will not just be a 15-game rental player. Not sure what Ottawa would want back for him but a 20-goal scorer that can play both special teams is a guy the Rangers should target.
J.T. Miller
Do the Rangers bring back J.T.? I think it basically comes down to do you want to trade Kakko. Vancouver still has dreams of being a wild card team and Miller has another year left on his deal, so they don’t have to trade him. The 28-year-old is having a big year, 22 goals, 41 assists, and 63 points in 55 games. Although a return to New York would be nice I just don’t see the Rangers coughing up assets that Vancouver wants for him. Until he is traded though the Rangers will continue to be connected to him.
Rangers Selling Targets
Alexandar Georgiev
I think this relationship has run its course. The 26-year-old wants to be a starter and when you have Igor Shesterkin on the same depth chart that will just never happen. He is a pending RFA at the end of the year and I think it’s time for the Rangers to cut their losses and see what they can get for him at the deadline. They have a capable NHL backup in Keith Kinkaid playing well in Hartford that can step into the backup role immediately. Since January 1st Georgiev is 2-6 with a 3.54 GAA and a .881 SV%. Right now, it seems like he has zero confidence, and the Rangers have zero confidence in him. A change of scenery could be the best thing for both Georgiev and the New York Rangers at the trade deadline.
Morgan Barron
I like Barron a lot, I have been calling for him to get more opportunities, but it seems as though the Rangers coaching staff does not feel the same way. He has been great down in Hartford, producing at a point per game pace the last two season but has yet to get an extended look at the NHL level. Two games ago the coaching staff elected to play Libor Hajek as a 7th defenseman over putting him in the lineup. That says a lot! If I was Morgan’s agent I am telling the Rangers front office to please include him in a deadline package to give him a new start elsewhere.
The New York Rangers have a ton of talent in their system that can be used as trade assets but those are the two from the NHL roster that I think could be moved by the trade deadline. The next two weeks should be very exciting as the Rangers ramp up their roster for a playoff run.
Be sure to bookmark our hockey page for hockey coverage and follow Belly Up Hockey on Twitter: @BellyUpHockey. Follow me on Twitter for more takes on the New York Rangers and USA Hockey: @KHallNY. You can also listen to my NY Rangers podcast The Broadway Hat Podcast on Apple Podcast and Spotify for Rangers news and interviews with past and current players.
1 Comment
We need Kane,need to have that playoff performer and game chamger we’re missing. Just no one off active roster, krastov, Baron, 1 st this year if they eat 50 off his contract.